Learning to Communicate

I was home from church Wednesday night because of…well, let’s just say a paralysis kink that sometimes makes me have to stay home. Anyway, as my habit is, any time I have to miss one of our own amazing church services, I watch the live services of Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. The preacher that night was Tim Tomlinson – a dear friend from college days. He preached a wonderful sermon on getting much out of God’s Word but it was his illustration towards the end of his sermon that this post is about.

Tim and his dear wife have a most adorable little boy who is hearing impaired. Tim was giving an illustration of how he found their little guy in his room surrounded by many empty gum wrappers. Tim was telling the audience that he asked his son if he ate all that gum. What grasped my heart was that Tim used sign language as he was asking his son about the gum. And Tim used those same signs as he was sharing this story with us. It was obviously very natural for him and he didn’t hesitate at all in doing this in front of this large audience of people he was speaking too.

I went to college with Tim and his wife, Angie. They did not use sign language then. What changed? Obviously, a child was born that they desperately wanted to communicate with. They would go to any length to do what needs to be done for their children just as any loving parent would. Their was no embarrassment, no awkwardness, not even a slight hesitation as Tim talked about his son. I adore the Tomlinson’s for that. These things are so personal to me now. As I watched Tim giving his illustration, I was seeing another illustration. An example of a father’s love for his son. Of a Heavenly Father’s love for His children.

Oh how I pray my communication with God was so pure and sweet. That I would always realize my deep need for Him – to hear Him, to know what He is saying to me, and to learn to communicate back to Him because of this need. My prayer is to make it natural. No shame, no hesitancy, no embarrassment – just a devoted love between me and my Father. Will you join me?

#Christianwalk #prayer #disability #Signlanguage #God